18

Ianto woke to a quiet house, the first night alone had been fine actually and now he was feeling a little silly for flouncing about. He wandered through the house feeling the emptiness of it. It felt so weird. The usual bluster and bullshit vacant, it was like he was alone all over again.

Jayden was on his mind.

He decided to start the day with some laundry, only to discover it was still dark outside. It must be really early. So, what had woken him? Then the pain hit, making him double up and grunt with pain. Jesus.

Ianto reached for the communicator and soon had Jack flying back with open bluster as Owen left Toshiko at work to rush back, their little one asleep in the back office so Toshiko stayed at the clinic with him asleep.

Ianto tried to remain calm, filling the tub as he panted though the tightness.

They would be here soon.

Everyone.

.

.

Ianto was embarrassed as Jack repeated for the third time "Braxton Hicks."

"Yeah" Owen sighed as he started to pack his things away, Ianto on the bed feeling horrid as Jack started to pace.

"And you tried to call Alice back home too, spoil her weekend like you did ours for what… Braxton Hicks!" Jack was flapping an arm as he stopped and spun to face Ianto "You really did feel pain right? This was not…"

"If you are about to imply that I am faking it… take another moment to think that through" Ianto snarled, his anger flaring.

"Come on, let's all get back to our jobs and calm down" Owen said as he clicked his bag shut and started to leave "And let's try and keep the rest of the weekend quiet."

"Yeah, don't interrupt my kids or me for… what… attention?" Jack demanded "Shit Ianto, come on. This is not you first Rodeo, you know this is a shitty thin to do, scaring us like that."

"Jack, it feels the same as real labour. I didn't know the difference" Ianto said angrily.

By the time the house was quiet again Ianto was alone, embarrassed and pissed.

Come hell or high water, he was NOT asking for help from anyone.

.

.

"How are you doing?"

Ianto bristled at Toshiko's voice and knew that was not fair, she was taking the time to call him and check on him when everyone else was sick of him and his 'antics' as they put it.

"I am fine. I have ordered some food to be delivered and will spend the day quietly cleaning… you know… nesting and all that" Ianto replied with fake bravado.

"Having it delivered, wow. I hope Jack is OK with the extra charge, I could pick it up after work if…"

"Excuse me?" Ianto interrupted her.

"Well there is a ten percent surcharge for delivery right?"

"And it's my money so I shall spend it as I wish. Jack has no say." Ianto frowned deeper. She had brought up something that bothered him, the finances all seemed to fall to him. Jack only paying for the kids and their needs. They needed to sort that if they were to have a bonding ceremony.

"But he is the man, the breadwinner. The Alpha, he told Owen he puts half his pay each week into an account"

"Yes, for the kids. It's a joint account with the kids. I don't have any access to it. He does not pay a single gold coin towards this house, the food… anything like that. Hell, he's not purchased a single thing for this baby. It's all me. We are living off my military pension" Ianto corrected her with open anger now "So don't lecture me in how I spend MY money. To tell you the truth, he's not event bothered buying me a ring with HIS money now, Mister Alpha."

"What?"

"Look… I think I better go" Ianto sighed, closing out the call to sit and stew for a while. Jack was being a little selective with his words around others.

Fine.

Ianto was going to have words with him.

.

.

"What?"

"Sorry Eye Candy, Jack sez no coms with you until we are done" John Hart was enjoying the face that was screwing up on the screen with anger.

"I need to speak with him!"

"Nope. Not happening. His exact words were 'I need a break from that man and his baby madness' so… nope" Hart grinned. "No fake births allowed!"

"I see." Ianto hissed ending the call to stand and gape at the empty screen, now beyond pied.

The food was in bags on the table waiting to be put away, so he decided to start there trying to find something to focus on. As he lifted a bag of food from the table, he felt a sharp pain and grunted, rubbing his side as he scolded himself for being a wuss.

It was almost three hours later that he would have to admit that it was not Braxton Hicks again… this was the real thing.

And fuck everyone… he was going to do this.

He started by trying to contact Jack again, this time listing the communication as urgent. It bounced back, John clearly living up to the agreement with Jack to refuse any further coms. Fuckhead. Fucking fuckhead.

Owen and Toshiko said they were busy; Rhiannon could keep him company. This was something that infuriated him but when he tried her, she said she had more kids over, the three-kid sleepover now eight kids. "Sorry. Have your Poor Me Pity Party without me."

Ianto considered things and knew this was not his first rodeo, clearly they were over him and he was over himself so he decided to cut out the needy bullshit and simply… get on with it. He was a solder goddamn it. He could do this.

Ianto drew a bath and settled into it, the pains coming faster and more bitingly. This is it, this is time. He wondered if he should record it for Jack and then decided that he made his decision to block him when he knew this was time for her coming.

No more time to give to others, no need to worry.

Like Jack himself had pointed out… this was not his first rodeo.

Ianto breathed through it, time seeming to slow and then disappear like the entire world outside the tub no longer existed. The night moved around them and dawn was almost here.

By the time his daughter slid into the water, Ianto was calm. The pain nothing to his joy. She was alive. Real. Here.

He reached down to grab her, lifting her up to look at her with wonder. Her little face red and angry but that hair told him why the heartburn he had complained about had been so strong. Also… not Jack's chin. Good. Might sound a little bit selfish but he did want to see something of himself in her, even if it was just the chin.

Everything else was clearly Harkness and he sighed softly as he cradled her, letting her find the tit.

Then she opened her eyes to look up at him and he was in love.

Not the bright blue sapphires of her father… the stormy grey voids of her Dam stared back at him and he felt a sob of delight.

His sons had both resembled Lisa, this one… this one had Jack there but also… he saw himself.

And she was gorgeous.

"Hello there poppet."

She simply drank her fill and then blinked slowly at him.

Yes.

He didn't need anyone.

It was all OK.